IPL 2023 Final: MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings will take on Hardik Pandya’s Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday. Going into the game, both teams have won a game against each other in the tournament.
Titans would be looking to win back-to-back titles in front of the home crowd. Winning two trophies in a row is a feat achieved only by CSK and Mumbai Indians so far. However, for GT to do it against a team led by MS Dhoni will not be a walk in the park.
Chennai may not make any changes for this high-stakes contest. However, they might make a few tactical tweaks in the game. The likes of Ajinkya Rahane and Shivam Dube, who have gone off the boil a bit in the second half of the tournament, could come back to form in this blockbuster contest on a nice batting strip at Ahmedabad.
A dream batting surface for Rahane
Chennai Super Kings batter Ajinkya Rahane plays a shot during the IPL 2023. (PTI)
The CSK number three batter — who started IPL 2023 with a bang with a couple of match-winning knocks against Mumbai at Wankhede and Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens — has gone off the boil a bit. He could not replicate his heroics in home conditions at the Chepauk where the ball gripped a bit and the surface was on the slower side. However, in Ahmedabad with a bit of bounce and carry, the ball comes on nicely onto the bat and if Rahane can get going on the day, he could propel CSK.
How many sixes can Shivam Dube hit?
Ahmedabad is one of the grounds that has made six hitting fairly easy. It has witnessed 143 sixes. This season, there have been very few clean strikers of the cricket ball as Shivam Dube. He has smashed 33 sixes and has been brutal on both spinners and seamers. If he gets going on the night against the Titans bowlers, we are sure to witness some fireworks.
Will MS Dhoni bat up the order?
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This could be the last time that Chennai fans will witness their beloved “Thala” batting. In the World Cup final of 2011, when the pressure was on the team, Dhoni promoted himself up the order. He might do it again today and finish things off in style.
New Delhi: Chennai Super Kings batter MS Dhoni plays a shot during the IPL 2023 cricket match between Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings, at Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, Saturday, May 20, 2023. (PTI Photo/Manvender Vashist Lav)
However, for the last few seasons, his decline as a finisher has been sharp. Despite that, this season he gave glimpses of what he can do from time to time. Against Rajasthan Royals while chasing 176, he almost pulled off the chase with a blistering 17-ball 32. The approach in his batting also has been notable: he used to take his time early on in the previous campaigns, but this season, he has been trying to go after the bowling from ball one.
CSK Predicted XI: Devon Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana. Predicted Impact Player: Ambati Rayadu
Chennai Super Kings Squad: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Devon Conway, Shivam Dube, Ajinkya Rahane, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Moeen Ali, Deepak Chahar, Tushar Deshpande, Maheesh Theekshana, Matheesha Pathirana, Mitchell Santner, Subhranshu Senapati, Shaik Rasheed, Akash Singh, Ben Stokes, Dwaine Pretorius, Sisanda Magala, Ajay Jadav Mandal, Prashant Solanki, Simarjeet Singh, RS Hangargekar, Bhagath Varma, Nishant Sindhu